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Hugging the banks of the Perfume River, the royal city of Hue retains a regal air, despite the ravages of both war and time on its ancient palaces and other historic buildings. Once the capital of Vietnam, and home to imperial dynasties and the ruling mandarin elite, the town itself was witness to all of the horrors of the American-Vietnamese war when it was over run by communist forces during the Tet offensive of 1968, and it took American and South Vietnamese forces over a month to evict them from their refuge in the ancient citadel.
The unfortunate result of these actions was near-total destruction and demolition of the citadel and most of its associated buildings. Street to street fighting also took its toll on the large, French colonial villas that dot the town, and although some buildings remain - both around town and within the citadel walls - the overall effect is massively diminished today. More recent international intervention in the form of UNESCO recognition and the development of the World Heritage Road project has resulted in the reconstruction and repair to more of the citadel itself and the royal tombs. However, Hue remains an attractive destination. Its streets are quiet and can easily be explored on foot or rented bicycle or motorbike. A boat trip along the Perfume River, taking in stops at the famous eight-tiered pagoda and various imposing mausoleums of long dead emperors, plus an impromptu lunch, often prepared and cooked on board, is a favourite excursion, as is a motorcycle tour of the city and its environs (check out Cafe on Thu Wheels in the listings section of ElephantGuide's Hue pages). Accommodation, as usual in the more visited tourist destinations, is wide ranging, although standards are not as high at the top end as in the capital or Saigon. Small guest houses are plentiful and cheap and a distinct backpackers' area is developing around 34 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street where rooms can be had for around US$8 with air-con and satellite TV. Dining out and sampling local variations on the Vietnamese cuisine is one of the delights of a stay in Hue, and the city's "Royal" or "Imperial" dishes are famous throughout the country. There are also a few foreign owned (or at least inspired) restaurants around town although choice is pretty limited and quality can be inconsistent. Nightlife in Hue is very low key, limited to around four or five actual "bars" and a few garden or travellers' cafes. For this reason alone, most visitors will find themselves in bed and asleep long before midnight. To explore Hue further, and for details of special deals currently on offer for ElephantGuide.com users, simply select your channel of choice at left and let The Elephant guide you.
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